Improvement in devices for propelling boats



H. FOX, DEVICE FOR PROPELLING BOATS.

Patented Ma yZ,1876;

fill 61215072 Z N- PETERS, FKOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C,

UNITED STATES,

AT NT -FFQE 'HENRY ox, OF WATERLOO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN D EVlCES FOR PROPELLING BOATS.

' Specification fdrming part of Letters Patent No. 176,947; dated May 2,1876; application filed a 3 April 7, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRYFOX', of Waterloo, in tliecounty of Seneca andState of New York, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements inPropelling Boats; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference.marked thereon, which-form a part of this specification,

vand in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a boat having myimproved propelling device, Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of the propellingmachinery, and Fig. 3 shows one of the paddlewheels removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.-

This invention relates to propelling devices for boats; and it consistsin so constructing the'same as to render it specially adapted forhunting and fishing'purposes, substantially as hereinafter more ,fullyshown and specified.

In the drawing, A is the body of the boat.

This may be constructed of wood, metal, or

any other suitable material, and of any suitable shape. It has. on thesides two recesses,

' covered with metallic boxes B B, in which the paddle-wheels G 0 work.

The axles c of the paddle wheels 0 have their hearings in the exteriorplates 1) and interior plates d of the boxes 13', as shown in Fig. 1, orin plates band suitable intermediate 7 braces e, as in Fig. 2.

Between plates .band dare covering-plates f, and between theseand platesd is the gearing by which the paddle wheels are operated. This gearing Iwill nowproceed to describe:

Axle c has a pinion, E, engagingwith a cog-Wheel g, the axle .of whichhas its bearings in platesf and d. (Jog-wheel cg engages with alargercogrwheel, G, the axle of which, "6, projects beyond plate f, asdoes axle 0. Motion may be imparted to the machinery in any suitablemanner, preferably by means of sprocket-wheels I- orreciprocating-levers L,

the former, adjusted upon axles 0, being the most advantageous when butlow speed is to be attained, and the latter, when adjusted upon axles i,being preferable when great speed is desirable. The sprocket-wheelslandlevers L being removable, their position may, of course, be reversed, atthe option of the occupants of the boat.

-It will, from the foregoing description, be observed that thepaddle-wheels 0, instead of,

as is usually the case, working in boxes extending from the sides of theboat, are incased by boxes formed by recesses in the sides.

Thisis partly in order to diminish the bulk of the boat, partly in orderto facilitate its propulsion, (by decreasing its resistance to-thewater,)- and partly to enable it to be propelled without disturbing thewater, a feature of greatimportance on shooting expeditions. In

order to increase the efl'ectiveness of this latter feature the featherso of thepaddles are placed slightly obliquely, so as to throw the waterunder the boat rather than to the sides. 1 1

From the foregoing description the operation and advantages of my devicewill be readily understood. When operated by-levers L, adjusted uponaxles i, great speed may be attained partly on account of the greatpower which may be thus exerted, and partly on.

account of the shape of the boat, which of? fers no obstructions to itsprogress in the water.

When, as is frequently the case on shooting and fishing expeditions, itis desirable to probeing excluded by the plate f.

water cannot enter the boat threugh the bear- In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as ings provided for the axles :of the-gearing; it'my'own, l'have'hereto'aflixed my signaturein presence of twowitnesses.

Having thus described'm y inventionJ claim 1 and desire to secure byLetters Patent'cfthe HENRY FOX. United States r The combination of'paddle-wheels" Ughav? Witnesses: ing axles c, pinion E, eogwheels 9 G,and WM. BAGGER, plates 01 f, substantially as ,and for the pur- LOUISBAGGER.

pcse herein shown and-"specified;

